Several family members of those who died in the fire attended the hearing, some of them teary-eyed.

Charges were not read out, but one of the several embassy officials from various countries who attended said some 100 charges were filed against the numerous defendants on trial.

It was previously reported seven or eight people were thought to be accused in the case. The first attempt to get the hearing under way was in September.

The Gulf Times also reported it had been decided at the weekly Qatar Government cabinet meeting to form a ministerial committee to study the reports submitted by earlier panels which investigated the fire.